Railroad crossing



July 13 1926.

W. C. HARSHA RAILROAD CROSSING Filed April 29 1925 Patented July L1a, 1926.

LEZQS WILLIAM C. HARSHA, OF HUTCI-IINSON, KANSAS.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

Application filed April 29, 1925.

This invention relates to railroad crossings andhas for its object the provision of simple and inexpensive means whereby vehicle drivers using a road intersecting a railroad track will be notified of the prox-Y imity of the crossing'and will be obliged to reduce speed before attempting to cross theY track. The invention seeks to provide means within a roadway at the sides of a track which will compel a vehicle upon the roadway to ride over a slight elevation in approaching the track so that the occupants of the vehicle will have positive notification of the presence of the track and may proceed with due caution. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure vl is a plan view of devices embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

rl`he railroad track, indicated at 1, may be of any usual construction and the crossing boards 2 are laid in the usual manner between the track rails and at the sides of the same. In carrying out my invention, there is embodied in the roadway, indicated at 3, at each side of the track, a block d o-f concrete or any other durable material which will extend across the entire roadway and will have its top surface 5 at the end nearer the track elevated somewhat above its end 6 which is more remote from the track. rlhe top of the body i is so formed or molded as to provide a ramp or inclined surface 7 at the center of the roadway but appreciably narrower than the roadway and at each side of this central portion is a wall or surface 8 extending substantially parallel with the side of the road. These portions 8 terminate short of the extreme end of the block or con-- crete body and are curved outwardly toward the opposite sides of the road, as indicated at 9, these outturned surfaces being also inclined, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, the inclination being the same as that of the ramp 7. K

It is intended that the concrete block or Serial No. 26.725.

Vapproaching vehicle will necessarily have a view of the block which will offer a slight obstacle to the progress of the vehicle.

Should the operator approach the crossing so that the wheels on one side of the vehicle would be' alined with the concrete body or the. ramp 7 thereon, the vehicle would be given a decided tilt toward one side which would cause the operator to intuitively stop the travel. l/Vlien the operator observes the obstruction ahead of him, he will naturally reduce speed and will so guide the vehicle that the wheels will pass at opposite sides of the ramp 7 and travel upwardly over the side ramps 9. As the reduction of the speed will eliminate the greater portion of the danger which is incident to the crossing of railroad tracks, it will be seen that the employment of my device will result in a great saving of life. The device is exceedingly simple and may be provided at a very low cost.

Having claim:

l. A device for use at railroad crossings comprising a body to be. embedded in the roadway at the side of the railroad track and havin@- a central portion elevated above the side portions of the body, the end of said central portion more remote from the track being inclined downwardly away from the track.

2. A device for use at railroad crossings comprising a body to be embedded in a road and having its end nearer the railroad track higher than its end more remote from the track and having a central elevated portion, said central elevated portion extending longitudinally of the body and having its sides diverging outwardly with the said diverging portions provided with surfaces inclined downwardly away from the railroad track.

In testimony whereof I amil my signature.

WILLIAM C. HARSHA. [n s] thus described the invention, l 

